Local development and social responsibility to boost integration at the Romanian-Hungarian border

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/AIXO2292

Abstract: The border region is the collision point of cultures, religions, languages, administrations, legislations and economic influences. All these factors have substantial contribution to the development of the phenomenon called cross-border cooperation. The issue of cross-border cooperation in general goes beyond geographical, economic and legal approaches. If we intend to treat the phenomenon from a specific point of view, we will find ambiguities and uncertainties regarding the role and functioning of some institutions in the process of cross-border cooperation and partnerships.
Therefore, the full analysis of the cross-border cooperation process cannot be done only if we also evaluate the effects produced by the institutions in the local governance sector and their political dimension. The principle of partnership applied in Cohesion policy, offered the opportunity to the participants in the cooperation process to weaken the traditional relations between the actors. Certain actors, who are legally subordinated in the programming phase, become partners in the implementation phase.
The process of cross-border cooperation, beyond the general cohesion policy, not only reshapes the legal-administrative relations in a certain national state and especially at local level, but also manages to transpose it on a cross-border basis.
At present, cross-border cooperation has proven to be the most effective tool for overcoming the barrier effect and the role of border separation and for strengthening the territorial cohesion of border regions.